Children are generally more susceptible to blunt abdominal injury than adults because they have relatively compact torsos with smaller anterior-posterior diameters, and this provides a smaller area over which the force of injury can be dissipated. They also have larger viscera and less overlying fat, and weaker abdominal musculature to cushion intraabdominal structures. The assessment of blunt abdominal trauma in children is reviewed in this article.
The general approach towards a child with blunt abdominal trauma is the same as for any seriously injured child. During initial evaluation of pediatric trauma patients, doctors should first address life-threatening injuries that compromise airway, breathing, and circulation. Hemodynamically unstable children with suspected intraabdominal injury (IAI) who are not responsive to intravenous crystalloid and blood transfusions during…
